Machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L.,D.BNNBS. i WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

No. 572,973. Patented Deo. 15, 1896.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. D. BNNBS.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE. No. 572,973. YPatented Deo. 155-18196.

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LORENZO D. ENNES, OF LYONS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO CARRIE O. ENNES, OF SAME PLACE.

WELL-DRILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,973, dated December 15, 18916. Application fled March 13,1896. Serial No. 582,995. (No model.)

`To all 1071/0111/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZO D. ENNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lyons, in the county'of Greene and State of Indiana,

5 have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in fell-Drilling Machines, of which the following is a specication.

M y present invention consists in certain features in the mechanism of that class of maio chinery known as well-drilling machines, whereby their efficiency and simplicity are increased.

A machine embodying mysaid invention willbe first fully described, and the novel fea- 15 tures thereof then point-ed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate similar parts, Figure I is a side elevation 2o of a machine embodying my said invention;

Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows on the dotted line 2 2 in Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional 2 5 view looking downwardly from the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an end elevation of the machine as seen from the dotted line 4 4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a detail sectional view on a still further enlarged scale, illustrating more 3o clearly that feature of the drilloperating mechanism by which the drill weight or rod is raised and lowered; Fig. 6, an edge eleva,- tion of the parts shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 6, a detail sectional view on the dotted' line so in 3 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7, a detail partially-sectional view of the letting-off mechanism; and Fig. 8, a

. detail view of the intermeshing wheels shown in Fig. '7, as seen from the dotted line 8 S therein.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the framework of the machine; B, the main driving-shaft; O, an intermediate shaft; D, the rope-winding drum; E, the drill-rope-operating shaft; F, 'the walking- 45 beam; G, the rope; II, a windlass-shaft for windin g the drum, and I the hand-wheel shaft for slowly operating the windlass-shaft.

In this machine the framework maybe of any usual or desired form, and the driving-shaft 5o B may be driven by means of a suitable belt B from any suitable source of power, such as a small upright engine, as shown in Fig. I. This main shaft, through the spur-gearB2 and the corresponding'spurgear-wheel C', drives the shaft O. Said shaft C, through the spur 5 5 gear-wheels O2 and the spur gear-wheels E2, drives the rope-operating shaft E. Through the clutch C3, the sprocket-chain 5, and the sprocket-chain wheels 3 and 4 it drives the drum D, said clutch being manipulated by 6o the lever G.

The shaft E has the pair of spur gear-wheels E2, between which is hung a swinging frame E3, carrying the pair of loosely mounted sheaves E4, between which sheaves the walk- 6 5 ing-beam F passes and by which said walking-beam is operated. As illustrated in Fig'.

5, the gudgeons e" of the frame E3 may be mounted in either of several bearings therefor, which are shown as in the form of holes 7o c in the web of the gearwheels. By this means the length of the stroke of said walking-beam may lengthened or shortened, as will be readily understood.

As shown in Fig. (5, the bearings for the 75 shaft el of one of the sheaves E4 are rendered adjustable by means of loose bearing portions V and set-screws t for operating them, so that lost motion may be taken up and wear compensated for. Liners Z are preferably in- 8o serted inthe opening containing the bearing B, and these may be shifted from one side to the other of said bearing as wear or occasion requires. The shafts of both sheaves might, of course, be similarly provided with aldjust- 85 able bearings, if desired, but I deem this unnecessary, as in the adjustment one sheave is driven toward the other sufficiently by the means shown to secure the adjustment necessary. c 9o The walking-beam F, as shown most plainly in Fig.` 2, is mounted on apivot fon the frame A. One of its ends passes between the sheaves E4, as just described, while the other end bears the sheave-hanger F', in which the 9 5 sheave 2 is mounted on a pivot f on the frame A. One of its ends passes between the sheaves E4, as just described, while theother end bears the sheave-hanger F', in which the sheave 2 is mounted through which the rope 10o G passes. This sheave-hanger F' may be attached at either of several points on the walkas shown in Fig. 2, and suspended from that end of the walking beam F carrying the sheave 2 for the rope G, and such weight will act as a counterbalance tothe drill-rod, thusv relieving the machinery of a considerable portion of the strain incident tothe lifting of said rod therefor. It does this without reducing the efficiency of the drill-rod in operation, as during the descent of said drill-rod the weight is lifted .by the machine and not by said rod, so that by attaching this weight to the walking-beam, instead of direct to the rope, a counterbalancing or partially counterbalancing of the drill-rod during. the time it is being lifted is secured without impairing the efliciencyof thedrill as it descends.

As is wellknown, thev drilling. mechanism m ust i nelude devices whereby the drill-weight W; maybe raised and let fall or rapidly descend, and vvarious ldevices for this purpose haveheretofo're been. used. My. mechanism forthis purpose, which has now been described, as will be readily seen, comprises efficient means for the. purpose, which are readily adjustable to almost any extent which maybe required, besides, which the varying speedofmotion which is desirable in such apparatus is secured by means of the looselymountedA frame E?, carried bythe wheels F2. Obviously, as saidframe ascends, carried by saidv ,wheels(it, being farther from the walking-,beam pivots f than when it deseends,) it operates said.walking-beam more slowly, and as it pulls .on vthe ropednring this ascending movement, the walking-.beam serving asa lever and operating over its pivot f as a fulcrum, the. rope is pulled upon, and the weight lV raised comparatively .slow-ly, while, when saidframe reachesthe other side of the wheel C in its revolution, being much closer to the fulcrum-pivot f, the motion of the walkingbeam is much ,more rapid, although the peripheral. speed of the devices driving it remains the same. The weight IV, while never freed from the rope, is .thus given approximately afree-drop, so that its impact on the drill-rod RA is. substantially with its .entire force. The Adistancewhich the weight shall be raised and let fall is determined both by the adjustment of the loosely-mounted frame E3 onthewheels E2 and vthe adjustment of the sheave-hanger F on the walking-beam F.

The yrope Gr passes from the drum D overa sheave I, suspended to the frame A, thence down under the sheave 2, carried by the walkingbeam F, and thence to other sheaves in the4 top T in the derrick structure, and thence to the Weight XV.

In the operation ofdrilling it is necessary to slack off the rope gradually and compara- To this .end a windlass-shaft tivelyfslowly. II is provided .bearing a spur-pinion` 7L, which engages with a larger spur gear-wheelD on the end of the winding-drum D, as shown most plainly in Fig. 4. At a point preferably outside the frame A on this windlass-shaft II is a spur-wheel I-I of peculiar form, which is loosely mounted thereon and the hub of which has a clutch-face. A sleeve S is mounted on the continuation of the shaft H and has a crank-handle K rigidly mounted thereon at the outer end thereof. At the inner end a clutch member M is mounted on said sleeve and is capable of moving longitudinally thereof while held by a spline or otherwise to revolve therewith. A spring S surrounds this sleeve between the crank-handle hub and the adjacent end of the clutch member, which is calculated to urge said clutch lmember into engagement withthe clutch-face on the hub ofthe wheel Il. W'hensaid clutch-faces are engaged, manifestly by turning the crankhandle K, the drum D will be wound up, and this is the method employed when it is desired to raise the weight any-considerable distance. A lever L is mounted on the pivot on the bracket A', extending out from the frame A, and engages with-and is adapted to throw they clutch member M Vout ;of. engagement, as shown in Fig. 7, when of course the shaft His free to revolve independently of the crank-handle K, and when this is held in this position the shaft VII may of course revolve andffollow the motion of the drum D,while the crank-handle hangs idle.

It is desirable, as before stated, that a means be provided by whichthe rope may be gradually slacked off as the drilling operation proceeds and the drill-rod descends under the force of the weight IV. Itis also desirable that the descent should be controlled and the apparatus held at any point desired. To this end I have provided a small shaft I, having suitable means of manipulation, such as a hand-wheel I', and which bears upon its ends below and adapted to enter into engagement with the spur-wheel I-I a corresponding spurwheel H. The cogs or projections on these wheels II' and I are of a peculiar form. lVhile they can be turned so as to passeach other and thus permit the revolution of their respective shafts without lcomplete disengagef ment, they still do not intermesh, as regular spur gear-wheels do, so that one willdrive the other, but are so arranged, as, shown in Fig. 8, that a tooth ofthe wheel Iwill act as a brace-stop against a tooth of the wheel H', thus serving as a detent therefor, unlessthey are purposely moved so as to pass. ity of -this is that by manipulating the shaft I by means of its hand-wheel I rthe rope can be slacked off a distance corresponding to.

each cog of the wheelI and then stopped and there held without .the trouble of throwing into or out of engagement any other detent. In other words, these spur-wheels act as an automatic detent, which is capable, `by a slight The util- IOO IIO

turning of the shaft I, to proceed in a step-- l by-step manner. np the rope, the shaft I can be slid endwise until the Wheels do not engage.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

i. The combination, with the Walking-beam of a well-drilling machine7 of a revolving loosely-mounted frame carried by wheels or cranks and provided with sheaves between which the ends of said walking-beam pass, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a well-drilling` machine, of the Walking-beam by which the rope is given its reciprocating movement, and a means for driving said Walking-beam consisting of a loosely-mounted frame carried by wheels or cranks and provided with sheaves or rollers which form the contact devices for said walking-beam.

3. The combination, in a well-drilling machine, of the weight-carrying rope, a walkingbeam for operating said rope, and mechanism for operating said walking-beam consisting essentially of a loosely-mounted frame carried by wheels or cranks and provided with contact-surfaces bearing upon said Walking beam.

4. The combination, in a well-drilling Inachine, of the weight-carrying rope, a walkingbeam for operating the same, and mechanism for driving said Walking-beam consisting,r of a shaft, a pair of gear-wheels thereon, a

loosely-mounted frame hung' between said gear-wheels eccentric to the axis ofthe shaft, rollers carried in said frame which come in immediate contact with the walking-beam, and a second shaft having a corresponding pair of gear-wheels which mesh with the IVhen it is desired to wind gears carrying the loosely-mounted frame, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, in a well-drilling machine,of the walking-beam by which the drillrod is operated, and a revolving1 looselymounted frame carried by wheels or cranks, and provided with sheaves between which one end of said Walking-beam passes, the ends of one or both the shafts of said sheaves being carried by adjustable bearings in said frame, with set screws for adj usting said frame, substantially as set forth.

6. In a well-drilling machine, the combination, of the walking-beam by which the drillrope is given its reciprocating` movement, means for driving said beam consisting of a loosely-mounted frame with suitable bearin gs therefor and carried by wheels or cranks, and a weight mounted on the same end of said walking-beam to which said drill-rope is connected, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, in a Well-drilling machine, of the weight-carrying rope, the mechanism for operating said rope, the rope-Winding drum, a windlass-shaft for winding said drum bearing a spur-wheel, and a second shaft bearing a corresponding` spur-wheel engagging therewith, said spur Wheels being` formed as shown and described to operate as a continuons but shifting detent7 substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my.

hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 7th day of March, A. D. 1896.

LORENZO D. ENNES.

Witnesses:

H. D. NEALY, JAMES A. WALSH. 

